CVD Graphene Growth Mechanism on Nickel Thin Films

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Khaled Alshurman, and Hameed Naseem

The Institute for Nanoscience & Engineering The Department of Electrical Engineering

University of Arkansas

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Graphene and Graphene properties

COMSOL Multiphysics Simulations of Graphene CVD

Growth Mechanism Using Ni

COMSOL Computational Methods

Simulated Results and Discussion

Conclusion

Weak Van der Waals forces

Graphene is a single atomic layer, first isolated in 2004, organized in a two dimensional hexagonal (honeycomb) lattice structure

Graphene (sp2 bonded carbon atoms)

The carbon-carbon bond length in graphene is approximately 0.142 nm.

Graphite

Graphite itself consists of many graphene sheets stacked together

What is graphene?

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The thinnest and lightest material known (1 m2 ~ 0.77 mg) The strongest material discovered (100-300 times stronger than steel) The best conductor of electricity and heat Extremely high mobility of electrons (more than2.0 x 105 at room temperature (cm2 V-1 s-1)

Graphene absorbs approximately 2.3% of white light.

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Graphene Properties

Graphene CVD Growth Mechanism Using Ni

Carbon atoms

A. Carbon diffuses into Ni (Dissolution Mechanism)

Ni Ni Ni

CH4

Heating up Carbon diffusion

Substrate Temp : 1000 oC

200 nm

CH4(g) → C(s) + byproduct (g)

B. Carbon precipitate on Ni surface due to cooling process (Precipitation Mechanism )

Cooling

Graphene

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Heat transfer, mass transfer, and deformed geometry applications were employed to simulate :

Computational Methods

• CVD graphene growth on nickel thin film by dissolution-precipitation mechanism • calculate the number of achieved graphene layers.

S = S0 exp (-H0/kT) (in atoms.cm−3)

D = D0 exp (−ED/kT) (in cm2 .s−1)

𝜕𝜕𝑐𝑐𝜕𝜕𝑡𝑡

= 𝛻𝛻. (𝐷𝐷𝛻𝛻𝑐𝑐)

𝜌𝜌𝐶𝐶𝑃𝑃𝜕𝜕𝑇𝑇𝜕𝜕𝑡𝑡 = 𝛻𝛻. (κ𝛻𝛻𝑇𝑇)

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𝑣𝑣𝑦𝑦 =𝚥𝚥𝑚𝑚.𝑛𝑛�𝑦𝑦𝜌𝜌𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐

Results

Carbon atoms diffusion field at 0.05 sec inside 200 nm thick nickel film at 1000 °C

A. Dissolution Stage

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Results

The influence of temperature on carbon atoms concentration at the bottom side of the Ni film. .

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A. Dissolution Stage

Results

The influence of the Ni film thickness upon carbon atoms saturation at 1000 °C. .

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A. Dissolution Stage

Results B. Precipitation Stage

The outward carbon atoms diffusion driven by supersaturation in the Ni film when the Ni film temperature drops from 1000 °C to 725 °C.

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Results B. Precipitation Stage

The number of the obtained graphene layers on Ni film surface after cooling from 1000 °C to different temperature

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Results B. Precipitation Stage

The thickness of the obtained graphene film on Ni film surface after cooling from 1000 °C to 725 °C.

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Two Layers of Graphene

Results B. Precipitation Stage

The number of the obtained graphene layers on Ni film surface after cooling from 900 °C to 725 °C.

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Baraton et al. had conducted an experiment typical to the one that we have modeled.

The experimental work of Baraton et al., in terms of the number of graphene layers, is similar to the obtained value (1.7 layers) in our simulation utilizing COMSOL MULTI PHYSICS software.

Accuracy Check

CVD graphene growth on nickel thin films by dissolution- precipitation

mechanism has modeled using COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS.

Heat transfer, mass transfer, and deformed geometry models were employed to simulate inward and outward carbon atoms diffusion in the Ni film as well as the number of achieved graphene layers.

Cooling 200nm thick Ni film saturated with carbon atoms from 900 °C to 725 °C leads to precipitate 1.7 graphene layers on the Ni film surface.

The obtained number of graphene layers was compared with a real experimental data.

We have found that COMSOL results are reasonable.

Conclusion

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